Keysight TechnologiesSimpliied PC Connectionsfor GPIB Instruments

Application Note

If you are an R&D, manufacturing or test engineer in the electronics industry, chances are you use your test instru-

ments for more than simple benchtop measurements. At some point, most engineers need to program and control test instruments and communicate with them from a PC or laptop.

Until recently, there hasn’t been a quick and easy way to physically connect test instruments to your computer, much less an easy way to get your PC and test equipment to communicate smoothly with each other. If you are like most engineers, you have wasted a lot of time and effort getting your instruments hooked up, dealing with driver issues and writing code, all in a simple quest to make your test instruments talk to each other and to your PC.

There are some new solutions available to save you time with these connectivity issues so you can have more time to spend on more productive tasks. The purpose of this paper is to walk you through the choices you need to make when you are setting up your automated tests and introduce you to some of the hardware options available that can simplify your connection, communication, and programming tasks.

Making the hardware connection is just the irst step in mastering the whole connectivity challenge. For assistance with other aspects of connectivity, register for free information on the Keysight Connectivity at www.keysight.com/ind/IO.

Making the Physical Connection

In the past, RS-232 and GPIB have been the primary interfaces used for connecting instruments to PCs in test and measurement applications. Although RS-232 is a low cost solution, its low baud rate and connection limitations make it too slow and cumbersome for many of today’s measurement needs.

GPIB technology has provided a high-performance, stable communications solution for more than 25 years. GPIB does have some drawbacks, though. For example, you have to install a GPIB card in each PC you want to use to access your test and measurement instruments. Before you can install a GPIB card, you need to have an available I/O slot — a commodity in perennial short supply. Then you must open your PC housing to install the GPIB card, an action many computer users would prefer to avoid. The hassle involved certainly makes it inconvenient to attempt to share a GPIB card among multiple users. The alternative, equipping everyone in your work group with an individual GPIB card, can be expensive.

USB and LAN connections are now built into most of today’s PCs, and standard PC I/O has evolved into an accept-able alternative for automating and controlling test and measurement instruments. Early USB devices, developed for connecting PCs to peripherals such as keyboards and mice, offered limited bandwidth. Today, however, USB 1.1 interfaces offer bandwidths up to 12 Mb/s, and USB 2.0 interfaces offer up to 480 Mb/s bandwidth, adequate for most test and measurement applications. Typical LAN conigurations support 10 or 100Mb/sec (10BASE-T/ 100BASE-TX) networks. Data transfer rates, however, are determined by the amount of trafic on the network. To maximize measurement data throughput, you can use a dedicated LAN and achieve higher performance for test systems. New LAN standards go up to 1 GB/s, and before too long, we expect to see LANs migrating to even faster speeds.

Today, the Keysight Technologies, Inc. test and measurement instruments are equipped with USB and LAN connec-

tions and uses a mixture of interfaces. To support you during your migration to USB and LAN, Keysight offers simple solutions for connecting your legacy GPIB instruments to standard computer I/O.

Introduction

Figure 1. Effective connectivity requires a number of hardware and software components to work together smoothly

3

Simple I/O Solutions

There are several different ways to

physically connect your GPIB test and

measurement instruments to your PC

or laptop. One of the easiest is to use

converters to connect via standard

computer interfaces like USB and

LAN. If you prefer, you can still use a

GPIB card installed in the backplane

of your computer. Each of these

connection methods works well for

certain applications.

USB/GPIB Interface

The fastest and easiest way to connect instruments to a PC is to use a USB/

GPIB converter — a simple cable with a GPIB plug on one end and a USB plug

on the other — that provides a direct connection from the USB port on your

PC to GPIB instruments. With the Keysight 82357B USB/GPIB Interface for

Windows 98 (SE)/Me/2000/XP/Vista, you can interface with up to 14 GPIB

instruments from any vendor, with transfer rates over 1.15 Mb/s with large

block transfers. Because the 82357B is a standard Plug and Play device, your

computer automatically detects it and configures the interface.

The USB/GPIB Interface is a best fit for R&D and small system applications

where high system throughput is not important. Even though it offers high

throughput with large block transfers (like scope and spectrum analyzer trace

downloads), its small-block transfer rates are slower than a typical GPIB

interface due to the first byte latency of the USB. This interface offers ease of

use and flexibility, and it can be easily shared in R&D environments.

TESTINSTRUMENT

TESTINSTRUMENT

TESTINSTRUMENT

PC

DUT

USBGPIB

82357B

Figure 2. Connectivity using a USB Interface

4

LAN/GPIB Interface

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existing LAN has a number of advan-

tages over using a local computer with

a GPIB interface card. With your test

instruments connected to your LAN,

multiple users can control instruments

from multiple locations, giving you the

ability to collaborate with worldwide

teams, consult with colleagues in

different locations, collect data,

perform measurements, share results,

or monitor the progress of your tests.

When you control your test instru-

ments over the LAN, you can situate

your computer remotely — at

a safer or more convenient location.

Keysight offers the E5810A LAN/

GPIB Gateway for remote access and

control of GPIB instruments via a

10BASE-T/100BASE-TX network. The

LAN/GPIB Gateway comes with a

built-in digital display and Web server,

so you can use your browser to easily

set up and configure the Gateway.

Then you can use your web browser

or development application to control

test instruments from anywhere in the

world.

The LAN/GPIB Gateway works well

for many applications. It can be used

in R&D environments when engineers

want to share equipment or collabo-

rate on designs. During design verifica-

tion, the Gateway makes it easy for

several engineers to share a rack of

expensive test equipment. In manufac-

turing, you can connect several test

systems via a local LAN and use a

single, centrally located PC to control

them. You also can access these test

systems remotely for troubleshooting

and debug.

PCI GPIB Interface

For applications where you need to maximize throughput for all block sizes and

get the fastest response to SRQ, you can use the traditional solution, a GPIB

interface card that plugs into a PCI slot in the backplane of your PC. Keysight

offers the 82350B for high-performance IEEE-488 interface, 82351A PCIe, and

data rates information for PCI-based PCs. This PCI card has built-in buffering

that provides I/O and system performance up to 750 KB/s.

The GPIB card works best for high-performance manufacturing test applications

that require the best I/O performance for all blocks sizes and the best SRQ

response rate.

Figure 3. Direct Connection with GPIB Card

Figure 4. Connectivity via your LAN

5

I/O Libraries Suite

To make it easy for you to upgrade

your programming software without

having to rewrite your code, Keysight

connectivity solutions come with

standards-based I/O libraries,

including Virtual Instrument Software

Architecture (VISA) and Standard

Instrument Control Library (SICL)

I/O software. The VISA standard

ensures compatibility among

different hardware and software

vendors and provides GPIB emulation

so your existing GPIB programs

work immediately, with a simple

re-configuration. Keysight’s I/O

libraries conform to the VXIplug&play

standards. In addition to providing

solutions for Windows 95/98/Me/

NT/2000/ XP/Vista Frameworks for

external and Keysight VXI embedded

PCs, the Keysight I/O libraries support

Keysight VEE, BASIC for Windows,

Visual Basic, Visual C++, and now

Visual Studio.NET with the Keysight

T&M Toolkit.

Mixed Systems

Keysight test and measurement instruments are equipped with USB and LAN

connectors. For legacy equipment, you can use the USB/GPIB and LAN/GPIB

converters discussed above. All these interfaces are supported with the Keysight

VISA/SICL I/O Libraries, which allows you to mix these various connection

types and capitalize on your equipment investment while maximizing your

flexibility for future expansion.

Figure 5. Mixed System

6

Which I/O Technology Should You Use?

Each type of I/O has its advantages

and disadvantages. Here is a brief

overview of which type works bests

for various situations:

– Use the USB/GPIB Interface

when ease of use is your primary

concern. The USB/GPIB Interface

also gives you better performance

with large block transfers.

– Use the LAN/GPIB Gateway

when you want to share instru-

ments and collaborate with col-

leagues in different locations.

The LAN/GPIB Gateway is also

an excellent choice when you

want to program/control your

test instruments from a remote

location or when you want to

implement a distributed test

environment.

– Use the PCI GPIB Interface for

applications where you need to

maximize throughput for all block

sizes and you want the fastest

response to SRQs.

With all of these choices,

here's help figuring out

which I/O technology to use:

Use: When your primary concern is:

82357B

USB/GPIB

Interface

– Ease of use

– Better performance with large block transfers

– Flexibility and small size

E5810A

LAN/GPIB

Interface

– Sharing instruments

– Collaborating with colleagues in different

locations

– Programming and controlling test instruments/

systems from remote locations

82350B

PCI GPIB

Interface

– Maximizing throughput for all block sizes

7

Programming Software

Selecting an appropriate mechanism

for the physical connection is only

half the battle. You also must decide

which programming software to

use. Engineers using test and

measurement equipment have used a

variety of languages and development

environments unique to test,

measurement, data acquisition, and

automation applications to develop

their programs.

In the past, the implications of

your choice of programming

environment/language for your test

and measurement instrument control

applications were different from what

they are today. With the introduction

of Keysight's VEE, T&M Programmers

Toolkit for Microsoft Visual Studio.NET,

the ground rules have changed for

selecting and using programming tools.

The T&M Programmers’ Toolkit

delivers the power and ease of use

of the open, standard Microsoft's

Visual Studio.NET platform to the

test and measurement world. The

toolkit's integrated software tools and

components make Visual Studio.NET

an easy place for you to write code for

automating measurement tasks and

displaying data.

For details, go to:

www.keysight.com/ind/IO

Summary

There are several different ways to physically connect your test and

measurement instruments to your desktop or laptop PC. USB and LAN

connections are now built into most of today's PCs, and standard PC I/O has

evolved into an acceptable alternative for automating and controlling test and

measurement instruments. There are converters available that make it easy to

connect your GPIB test instruments via these standard computer interfaces.

Or if you prefer, you can still use a GPIB card installed in the backplane of your

computer. Each of these connection methods works well for certain applications.

8

Glossary

GPIB — General Purpose Interface

Bus. Used for instrument control

LAN — Local Area Network

SICL — Standard Instrument Control

Library. A platform independent API

for software to control GPIB test

instruments conforming to IEEE 488

specifications. This standard preceded

the VXIplug&play standard (VISA)

SCPI — Standard Commands for

Programmable Instrumentation.

SCPI defines a standard set of

Related Keysight Literature

Data Sheet:

Keysight Connectivity Suite,

pub. no. 5988-5756EN

Data Sheet:

Keysight 82357B USB/GPIB Interface

for Windows,

pub. no. 5988-5028EN

Data Sheet:

Keysight E5810A LAN/GPIB Gateway,

pub. number 5988-5810EN

Data sheet:

Keysight 82350B PCI GPIB Interface,

pub. no. 5966-2720EN

To download this literature, go towww.keysight.com/ind/IO

commands to control programmable

test and measurement devices in

instrumentation systems. Learn more

at http://www.scpiconsortium.org

USB – Universal Serial Bus. A

standard bus on today’s PCs

VISA — Virtual Instrument Software

Architecture

VXIplug&play — A hardware and

software standard that allows

interoperability between instruments

made by different manufacturers.

Learn more at http://www.vxipnp.org

myKeysight

www.keysight.com/find/mykeysightA personalized view into the information most relevant to you.

www.axiestandard.orgAdvancedTCA® Extensions for Instrumentation and Test (AXIe) is an open standard that extends the AdvancedTCA for general purpose and semiconductor test. Keysight is a founding member of the AXIe consortium.

www.lxistandard.org

LAN eXtensions for Instruments puts the power of Ethernet and the Web inside your test systems. Keysight is a founding member of the LXI consortium.

www.pxisa.org

PCI eXtensions for Instrumentation (PXI) modular instrumentation delivers a rugged, PC-based high-performance measurement and automation system.

Three-Year Warranty

www.keysight.com/find/ThreeYearWarrantyKeysight’s commitment to superior product quality and lower total cost of ownership. The only test and measurement company with three-year warranty standard on all instruments, worldwide.

Keysight Assurance Planswww.keysight.com/find/AssurancePlansUp to five years of protection and no budgetary surprises to ensure your instruments are operating to specification so you can rely on accurate measurements.

www.keysight.com/qualityKeysight Electronic Measurement GroupDEKRA Certified ISO 9001:2008 Quality Management System

Keysight Channel Partnerswww.keysight.com/find/channelpartnersGet the best of both worlds: Keysight’s measurement expertise and product breadth, combined with channel partner convenience.

For more information on Keysight Technologies’ products, applications or services, please contact your local Keysight office. The complete list is available at:www.keysight.com/find/contactus

Americas

Canada (877) 894 4414Brazil 55 11 3351 7010Mexico 001 800 254 2440United States (800) 829 4444

Asia PaciicAustralia 1 800 629 485China 800 810 0189Hong Kong 800 938 693India 1 800 112 929Japan 0120 (421) 345Korea 080 769 0800Malaysia 1 800 888 848Singapore 1 800 375 8100Taiwan 0800 047 866Other AP Countries (65) 6375 8100

Europe & Middle EastAustria 0800 001122Belgium 0800 58580Finland 0800 523252France 0805 980333Germany 0800 6270999Ireland 1800 832700Israel 1 809 343051Italy 800 599100Luxembourg +32 800 58580Netherlands 0800 0233200Russia 8800 5009286Spain 0800 000154Sweden 0200 882255Switzerland 0800 805353

Opt. 1 (DE)Opt. 2 (FR)Opt. 3 (IT)

United Kingdom 0800 0260637

For other unlisted countries:www.keysight.com/find/contactus(BP-05-29-14)

09 | Keysight | Simpliied PC Connections for GPIB Instruments - Application Note

This information is subject to change without notice.© Keysight Technologies, 2006 - 2014Published in USA, July 31, 20145988-5897ENwww.keysight.com

Keysight Modern ConnectivityUsing USB and LAN I/O Converters

Application Note

What is the best input/output interconnect for your application?

First, here is a brief description of

the three I/O interfaces that will be

compared.

82350B PCI GPIB interface card

This card provides an IEEE-488 interface

with software and installs into the

backplane of your computer. The 82350B

makes it easy to access and control

instruments and exchange data.

82357B USB/GPIB interface

This interface provides a direct

connection from the USB port on your

laptop or desktop computer to GPIB

instruments. It is a standard Plug and

Play device and is automatically detected

and conigured when connected to the computer USB port.

E5810A LAN/GPIB gateway

This product provides a gateway between

network-equipped computer systems and

GPIB and/or RS-232 based instruments.

The E5810A allows I/O applications to

obtain measurement data either locally

or remotely from GPIB and/or RS-232

instrumentation.

There are a few factors you want to

consider when determining the best I/O

connectivity for your test system.

– Controller and operating system

– Steps required for setup

– Data transfer rates

– Number of instruments connected

– Additional software, cables,

connections

– Distance from controller to

instruments

– Advantages/disadvantages

You want the I/O product to integrate

easily with your current test system

or you may have the opportunity to

build a new system taking advantage

of a newer I/O interface. In either

case, having details for these topics

will be helpful in making the best

I/O interconnect decision for your

application needs.

Introduction

GPIB has been a primary instrument Input/Output interface for over 30 years due

to its proven reliability. New standard computer bus systems, USB and Ethernet

(LAN), are gradually being built into modern instruments and test systems.

Instrument interconnects are typically GPIB, although, using USB/GPIB and

LAN/ GPIB converters may be useful in updating your test systems and taking

advantage of new bus features such as easy connections, remote instrument

access, and higher speed data transfers. The following document compares the

USB to GPIB converter (82357B), the Keysight Technologies, Inc. GPIB PC card

(82350B), and the LAN to GPIB converter (E5810A) and will help determine which

I/O interconnect is best for your application needs.

You want the I/O product to integrate easily with your current test system or you

may have the opportunity to build a new system taking advantage of a newer I/O

interface. In either case, having details for these topics will be helpful in making

the best I/O interconnect decision for your application needs.

3

Controller and operating system

In order to take advantage of the

new computer bus systems, your test

system PC (controller) must meet

the following minimal requirements:

Pentium 450 MHz, 128 MB RAM, and

280 MB free disk space to effectively

use the GPIB USB, and LAN I/O

interfaces. For the best results you

may want to use a faster computer

with more memory. The I/O products

referred to here have been designed

to work with the many different PC

operating systems being used today.

See Table 1 to verify that the operating

system of your controller supports the

I/O you plan to use.

Operating system82350B PCI GPIB

interface card

82357B USB/GPIB interface

E5810A LAN/GPIB gateway

Windows Vista • • •Windows XP • • •Windows Me • • •Windows 2000 • • •Windows 98 • • •Windows NT • •HPUX 11i •*

Linux •*

* Provided by Test & Measurement Systems Inc (TAMs) www.Tamsinc.com

Supported operating systems

Table 1. Operating system support for I/O solutions

82357B USB/GPIB

If keeping the set-up time to a minimum is your goal, the 87357B USB/GPIB

converter is the I/O interface you are looking for. In just three steps you can

be up and running without installing cards or connecting to the LAN. The steps

include loading the Keysight I/O libraries on the controller, and plugging the

USB connector into the computer. The Keysight I/O Config will run automatically

and asks if the default settings are sufficient. I/O Config is a utility used by

the Keysight I/O Libraries to automatically configure instrument I/O hardware

interface. In most situations, the default settings are selected. The USB/GPIB

converter is hot-swappable which means it is easy to connect, disconnect,

and reconnect any time. The USB/GPIB converter is very convenient for use

with laptops since it provides an I/O interface without having to install a GPIB

interface in the backplane of your computer.

E5810A LAN/GPIB

The setup for the E5810A LAN/GPIB converter takes a little more work although

the advantages of connecting to a LAN are well worth the extra effort. You first

need a LAN, either global or private, to connect to. You may need help from your

local IT group to do this. For initial setup and configuration of the E5810A, your

controller needs to have a web browser such as Netscape Navigator 4.7, or

Internet Explorer 4.0 and higher. If you plan to use the E5810A for programmed

control of instruments, you will install and configure the Keysight I/O libraries

on the controller. Connect the hardware, your LAN cable, power plug, and either

GPIB or RS-232 cables to instruments. From the controller, you can enter the

IP address in your web browser window to setup and communicate with the

E5810A LAN/ GPIB converter and any connected instruments.

82350B PCI GPIB card

The PCI GPIB interconnect is an easy to install computer PCI card. Once the card

is installed in a controller’s PCI slot, you can install the Keysight I/O libraries,

run Keysight’s I/O Config, and connect the GPIB cable(s) to the instruments.

Steps required for set-up

The GPIB card, USB/GPIB converter,

and LAN/GPIB converter require

initial setup to integrate them into

your test system. Before you select

an I/O interface, you may want to

consider the steps for installing and

configuring the interface. Here is a

brief description of the steps you will

need to follow to install your selected

I/O interface.

4

Data transfer rates

Benchmark test results were acquired

to determine the difference in data

transfer rates for these I/O interfaces

with varying data sizes. Time required

to transfer data from an instrument

to a PC depends on a few factors

including the I/O interface. Other

factors that affect data transfer rates

are the instrument’s processing speed,

the format and size of data being

transferred, the instrument commands

and overhead, and the computer’s

processing speed and memory size.

Two instruments were selected to

participate; one for its ability to make

very fast individual measurements,

and the other for its ability to transfer

large blocks of data. Each of the

three I/O interfaces was tested with

both instruments. The intention for

the results was to determine which

of the three I/O interfaces offers a

faster data transfer rate for individual

readings and for large data blocks.

34401A DMM single and burst readings

Number of readings

mse

c/

rea

din

g

1 10 100 1000

10

8

6

4

2

0

GPIB

USB/GPIB

LAN/GPIB

Figure 1. Data transfer times for single and ‘burst’ readings with 34401A

34401A DMM single and small burst readings

Number of readings

mse

c

1 3 5 7 9

8

6

4

2

0

GPIB

USB

LAN

Figure 2. Data transfer times for a small range of readings

Individual reading results

A digital multimeter (Keysight 34401A) was selected for testing individual

and burst1 readings. Figures 1 & 2 below show the difference between the

data transfer times of the three I/O interfaces. For a single reading, the GPIB

interface can transfer data 2 milliseconds faster than the USB/GPIB interface

and nearly 1 millisecond faster than the LAN/GPIB interface. That is 16% to 33%

faster single readings using the standard GPIB PCI card. However, when taking

multiple readings the difference in time per reading is reduced significantly.

This is because the instrument’s total time required for the measurement is

divided between the specified number of readings as shown in Figure 3. The

instrument’s total measurement time includes the:

– Measurement commands to be sent to the instrument

– Instrument to process the commands

– Instrument to initiate the commands

– Instrument to send a measured result(s)

When using a ‘burst’ of measurements the instrument configures and initiates

only once for multiple readings.

Time required for measurements

Single Rdg 5 Rdg Burst

mse

c

12

10

8

6

4

2

0

measured results

initiate command

process command

command sent to instrument

Figure 3. Total instrument measurement

time for single vs. burst readings

1. A single trigger will execute a specified number of consecutive measurements of the same kind.

5

Large data block results

An Oscilloscope (Keysight 54622D)

was selected for testing large data

block transfers. The 54622D is able

to transfer up to 1 megabyte files

for a single waveform. Figures 4 & 5

below show the data transfer times for

different size files comparing the three

I/O interfaces. As you can see, there

is very little difference in transfer time

between the I/O interfaces. GPIB is

able to transfer the largest 1 megabyte

file more quickly than LAN/GPIB or

USB/GPIB, although there is less than

6% difference in the transfer times of

all three interfaces.

Data transfer rates summary

The computer standard interfaces

USB and LAN offer high-speed data

transfers for devices that transfer

data at or above 200kB/second. In

most cases, the instruments within

the test system determine the highest

achievable transfer rates. For GPIB

based instruments, you will experience

nearly the same data transfer rates

whether using GPIB, USB/GPIB or

LAN/GPIB interfaces. Instruments

that have integrated USB and LAN I/O

connections are able to achieve much

faster data transfer rates than GPIB,

the USB/GPIB converter, and the

LAN/GPIB converter.

54622D OscilloscopeTime required to read different waveform sizes

Number of bytes per waveform

mse

c

0 200,000 400,000 600,000 800,000 1,000,000

35,000

30,000

25,000

20,000

15,000

10,000

5,000

0

GPIB time

USB time

LAN time

Figure 4. Data transfer time for large data files with 54622D

54622D Oscilloscope 1 megabyte waveform

Bytes per waveform

mse

c

990,000 995,000 1,000,000 1,005,000 1,010,000

320,000

310,000

300,000

290,000

280,000

270,000

260,000

GPIB

USB/GPIB

LAN/GPIB

Figure 5. Data transfer time for 1 megabyte waveform

Number of instruments that can be connected

The I/O products we are comparing all use or convert to the GPIB bus.

The number of instruments that can be connected to each I/O interface is

determined by the GPIB specification, which supports connecting up to 15 GPIB

devices, 14 instruments, and 1 controller.

82357B USB/GPIB

Each USB/GPIB converter attached to the controller can support up to

14 instruments. With just two USB ports, two USB/GPIB converters, and GPIB

instrument cables, the controller can easily control up to 28 instruments.

E5810A LAN/GPIB

There is no limit to how many LAN/ GPIB converters are attached to the LAN

or, how many LAN/GPIB converters are controlled with one PC. Each LAN/GPIB

converter connected to the LAN can support up to 14 instruments.

82350B PCI GPIB

Each GPIB PC card installed in the controller’s PCI slot(s) can support up to

14 instruments using additional GPIB cables.

6

Additional software, cables, and connections

All of the Keysight I/O connectivity

products come with a CD with the

required Keysight I/O VISA/SICL

libraries. Loading the libraries is easy

and takes just a few minutes.

The 82350B GPIB and 82357B USB/

GPIB I/O products come with ev-

erything you need to establish your

controller I/O. You will need GPIB

cables to connect to each of the

instruments you plan to use.

The 82357B USB/GPIB can connect

directly to one instrument with no

additional GPIB cables required.

The E5810A LAN/GPIB requires a

LAN, LAN connection, and a web

browser installed on the controller in

addition to the GPIB and/or RS232

cables to the instruments.

Distances from the controller to instrument(s)

Test systems vary from a few instruments on a bench to many instruments

at various locations. The distance from the PC to the test system instruments

is most often determined by the I/O product(s) used. Details of the maximum

allowable distance from the controller to the instruments, for each I/O product,

are listed here.

82357B USB/GPIB

The distance from the PC to one device can be up to 20 meters or, the distance

between each device connected can be up to 2 meters, whichever is less. USB

hubs can also be used to extend the distances between instruments and/or the

controller. The length of the supplied cable for the 82357B is 2.5 meters. The

82357B can be connected directly to an instrument that is 2.5 meters or less

away from the controller or to a GPIB cable which would extend this distance.

E5810A LAN/GPIB

The distance from the E5810A and the controller depends on the location of

the devices and their connections to the LAN. The E5810A and controller can

be at any two locations as long as they are connected to the same LAN. The

instruments that are connected to the E5810A should be within 2 meters of each

other since regular GPIB cables connect them.

82350B PCI GPIB

The distance from the controller to one device can be up to 20 meters or the

distance between each device connected can be up to 2 meters, whichever

is less.

Advantages/disadvantages of each connectivity product

There are advantages and disadvantages other than cost that may contribute to your decision of which I/O interface

would be beneficial to your test application. Here is some additional information that will help you make the decision of

what is the best I/O interface for your test system.

I/O Interface Advantages Disadvantages

82357B USB/GPIB

Converter

– Easy to connect – no boards to install, no internet

connection

– Great for Laptops

– Plug & Play – automatically detected and con-

figured

– Hot-swappable (plug-in or unplug anytime)

– WINNT does not support USB connections

– Slightly slower transfer rates for single read/

writes

E5810A LAN/GPIB

Converter

– Remote access to instruments/systems

– Longer distances between instruments and/

or PC

– One PC can access many instruments and/or

systems

– On-board instrument web server makes it easy to

connect to and control instruments

– If LAN switches and/or routers are used with

the instruments communication can be very fast

(Transmit & receive at the same time)

– Data throughput can be limited by the amount of

traffic on the network

– May require a dedicated LAN

– Internet firewalls may be required

– Instruments must be where they can connect to

LAN

82350B GPIB PCI Card – 30+ years of proven reliability

– Nearly all test instruments have a GPIB inter-

face

– The PC must be opened to install the GPIB card

in a PCI slot

– The number of installed GPIB cards is limited by

the number of controller PCI slots available

7

Conclusion

As computers, test instruments and I/O interconnects evolve, it is important to

be knowledgeable of what is new and how it may make test system develop-

ment or upgrades more efficient. Test instruments are gradually becoming avail-

able with the standard computer busses, USB and/or LAN. The I/O converters

82357B USB/GPIB, and E5810A LAN/GPIB enables you to migrate your current

GPIB instrument to the modern bus systems USB & LAN and benefit from their

advantages today.

Glossary

I/O Config — a Utility used by the

Keysight I/O Libraries to configure

instrument I/O hardware interfaces.

I/O Config is an interactive program

that searches your system for installed

interfaces that VISA and SICL support.

You select the interface(s) you want

to configure and I/O Config selects

default parameters required to

configure the interface(s).

References

Other Keysight literature

Data sheets

– 82357B USB/GPIB Interface http://www.keysight.com/

find/82357b

– E5810A LAN/GPIB Gateway http://www.keysight.com/find/

e5810a

– 82350B PCI GPIB Card

http://www.keysight.com/

find/82350b

Manuals

– USB/LAN/GPIB Interface

Connectivity Guide (available at

http://we.home.keysight.com/upload/

cmc_upload/connectivity_guide.pdf

myKeysight

www.keysight.com/find/mykeysight

A personalized view into the information most relevant to you.

www.axiestandard.org

AdvancedTCA® Extensions for Instrumentation and Test (AXIe) is an

open standard that extends the AdvancedTCA for general purpose and

semiconductor test. Keysight is a founding member of the AXIe consortium.

www.lxistandard.org

LAN eXtensions for Instruments puts the power of Ethernet and the

Web inside your test systems. Keysight is a founding member of the LXI

consortium.

www.pxisa.org

PCI eXtensions for Instrumentation (PXI) modular instrumentation delivers a

rugged, PC-based high-performance measurement and automation system.

Three-Year Warranty

www.keysight.com/find/ThreeYearWarranty

Keysight’s commitment to superior product quality and lower total cost

of ownership. The only test and measurement company with three-year

warranty standard on all instruments, worldwide.

Keysight Assurance Plans

www.keysight.com/find/AssurancePlans

Up to five years of protection and no budgetary surprises to ensure your

instruments are operating to specification so you can rely on accurate

measurements.

www.keysight.com/quality

Keysight Electronic Measurement Group

DEKRA Certified ISO 9001:2008

Quality Management System

Keysight Channel Partners

www.keysight.com/find/channelpartners

Get the best of both worlds: Keysight’s measurement expertise and product

breadth, combined with channel partner convenience.

www.keysight.com/find/IO

For more information on Keysight

Technologies’ products, applications or

services, please contact your local Keysight

office. The complete list is available at:

www.keysight.com/find/contactus

Americas

Canada (877) 894 4414Brazil 55 11 3351 7010Mexico 001 800 254 2440United States (800) 829 4444

Asia PaciicAustralia 1 800 629 485China 800 810 0189Hong Kong 800 938 693India 1 800 112 929Japan 0120 (421) 345Korea 080 769 0800Malaysia 1 800 888 848Singapore 1 800 375 8100Taiwan 0800 047 866Other AP Countries (65) 6375 8100

Europe & Middle East

Austria 0800 001122Belgium 0800 58580Finland 0800 523252France 0805 980333Germany 0800 6270999Ireland 1800 832700Israel 1 809 343051Italy 800 599100Luxembourg +32 800 58580Netherlands 0800 0233200Russia 8800 5009286Spain 0800 000154Sweden 0200 882255Switzerland 0800 805353

Opt. 1 (DE)Opt. 2 (FR)Opt. 3 (IT)

United Kingdom 0800 0260637

For other unlisted countries:

www.keysight.com/find/contactus

(BP-05-29-14)

08 | Keysight | Modern Connectivity — Using USB and LAN I/O Converters – Application Note

This information is subject to change without notice.© Keysight Technologies, 2006 - 2014Published in USA, July 31, 20145989-0123ENwww.keysight.com